Incubator ready to go, grow

Let’s grow! That’s the short and sweet message we have for the town of Bluffton and its partnersip with Clemson University.

Bluffton and Clemson have teamed up for a pilot project that will grow emerging technology companies.

In October, Bluffton and Clemson’s Institute for Economic and Community Development entered into a contract to establish a public-private venture called “Building the Technology Building.” The three-year pilot project will be based in space donated by CareCore National LLC at the Buckwalter Place Tech Park.

Last week, Town Council unanimously approved bylaws that will govern the nonprofit created to manage the pilot project, Bluffton Technology Incubator Corp. A six-member board of directors also was approved. The bylaws make Mayor Lisa Sulka the automatic seventh member. Board members are not compensated.

The commitment from both parties is obvious and we support the project and hope its first recruits are lining up outside the doors.

The partnership requires the town to be the public sponsor and to pay $50,000 a year to Clemson for the three-year term of the pilot project for various training, consulting and other outlined services. Bluffton also will pay for a chief executive officer to run daily operations in consultation with the board.

It may look on the surface like the town is making a huge investment in the incubator project. And it is. But we are betting the payoff will come. A significant return on its investment would be companies setting up shop in Bluffton and bringing hundreds of good-paying jobs to our community.

Everyone knows jobs are hard to come by. Decent-paying jobs are even harder to find.

The town controls the project’s destiny from the outset with the final word on all decisions and full authority to run the nonprofit.

Terry Finger, town attorney, said last week that he “locked down” town control because he wanted to be sure that the town was driving the bus.

We agree if the town is the public part of the partnership that it should be in the driver’s seat. But we also are mindful that the board will be subject to all requirements of the state Freedom of Information Act because it is a public entity and is funded with public monies.

Mayor Pro Tem Fred Hamliton said it well in a story in Sunday’s Bluffton Today when he said: “We need to make sure that council, who has the best interest of the taxpayers at heart, is driving the bus very slow.”

We’re ready to jump on the bus and go. It may be slow growth at first, but we are encouraged by the energy, enthusiasm and drive shown so far at making the incubator a success.

Comments are welcome, so long as they are civil. A Facebook account is required. Abuse may result in the commenter being permanently blocked. Personal attacks are strictly prohibited. We reserve the right to remove any comments at any time.